Grandkids!

The grandkids made a tough news day much better! My poor car is in the shop for the weekend. :( I found a bunch of craft stuff last month tucked away in a closet and Teagan is now old enough to enjoy them. Scarlet is getting there but we loved to get enthusiastic with that glue stick!! I really wanted to take them outside today but there were quite a bit of showers today so that did that in! Especially since Teagan had flip flops on! I think it stayed in the high 50's today. But by Tuesday it's supposed to be 90! Crazy!! I love the hugs, kisses and I love you's they just randomly give.

So I guess if nothing else I'll be able to get a lot of work done with no means to go anywhere! And that money will be desperately needed since the savings account is going to be drained dry! But that's what it's there for!

It's such hard work picking the play-dough up!

Maybe we can make it a bit more interesting!

I found someone selling doll clothes last year on ebay. The girls have really enjoyed them!

Craft time! I should have remember this soon today! It really kept Teagan occupied!

Kind of a dark picture but Scarlet was enjoying herself as well!

Bed frames make for an awesome garlic drying rack!

Actually got some decent sized cloves this year! Yay!!

Total Overwhelm mode

So much to do and not near enough time. I had an emergency project with a current client that took a lot of my time the last few days and thus put me behind in catching up and in sleep!! So I know what I'm doing Memorial Day weekend. But a break IS coming and soon!  My poor kitties!! They're feeling quite abused from lack of attention! I really think I'm at the point of not taking on anymore bookkeeping clients for a while! So hard to believe!! I'll still take payroll clients though. :) But I really need to get a schedule set and kept for a couple of months before I know what I can and can't take on bookkeeping wise.

And I REALLY need to find time to plant my plants this week. They're doing okay but desperately need to get in the ground. I'll show one of my to do's down below as well. I'm showing a before picture and will show the after in the next few weeks. :) The Hydrangea's are so, so loaded again this year! The typical one but also my other's, which hasn't happened before. You can't tell I LOVE gardening can you? ;)

I'm also babysitting Friday. It's been quite a while since I had a day with the girls so regardless of how busy I am Grandma had to make sometime!

It's huge and loaded!

This one hasn't had this many blooms ever!

And they're a gorgeous purple!

Peas and lettuce and swiss chard is growing!

Potato bed and a voluteer viola

A closer look at the viola

Taking out stuff to the compost bin I saw this dragonfly! It even stayed there while I ran in and grabbed my phone to take the picture. So cool!!

Yep, berry picking time is here!

Here's my project. It's totally overgrown and in horrible shape. There's sage and day lilies in that mess!

Slowly but Surely

Slowly but surely I'm working through the stack and getting everyone caught up! It's a long haul and I have a week and a half left to meet my goal of getting as much as I can done. I word it that way because some I'm not going to be able to get done since they're on vacation and I need information before the books can be done! After meeting with the accountant there's a question of how much do I want to grow the business?  What kind of increase in taxes can I handle while still trying to do something for retirement? Is there something that I need that would bring the bottom line down but would I still be able to pay what I owe in taxes if I did that? Ah, the questions of business!

Luckily I can go out and enjoy my yard now and again to take a break. Pull some weeds etc. Right now everything is lush and green due to the rain this last week. It poured a couple of times this afternoon and even had a long and loud clap of thunder. More rain until the middle of next week. We are making up for the last month! Although I will say I'm pretty sure there was a lot around the Portland area that didn't get the amount of rain we got today.

I got a used treadmill today! Now I can exercise right at home!! A friend was getting rid of one nice and cheap. The display doesn't work but everything else does. I'm excited to get this because I desperately need to start doing something! When ones starts getting close to 50 (Yikes!!) the body just doesn't keep the weight off the way it once did. I was very lucky in that my weight just naturally stayed off until a couple of years ago.

Thankful tomorrow is Sunday and looking forward to our meetings! Last afternoon one until, probably, July. I'm also excited for next month, there's a couple of breaks worked into the month that are desperately needed!!

Hydrangea's are blooming! Got to say I LOVE this picture. The lavender purple is my favorite color!

Potatoes... Lots of potatoes!

A sunflower bloomed in the compost bin last year and apparently it's back this year!

The raspberries are ripening and they're soooo yummy!! And loaded!!

Summer time!!

I'm beginning to think Spring was totally skipped and summer is here to stay! I'm really hoping I'm wrong though! As I've said last month was way warm, and so was March (maybe March was our Spring!). It was in the 80's yesterday and today; tomorrow cooler and cloudy but no rain :(  and then back to the 80's Tuesday through possibly Friday at this point. My dad will have a lovely visit up here!! The plus side is beautiful flowers because they're blooming so early and yummy strawberries. I was wondering the other day about them.... first ones were already at the farmers market today!! WOW!!  My honeyberries are turning purple. It's just crazy!!! Maybe I'll actually get those tomatoes and peppers in this next week!

I finally gave in and turned on the fan upstairs today. I had to water my raised bed area yesterday and the first rose blooms are fading away already and we're only into the first week of May. On the other hand other areas of the US can't seem to get out of winter so it all depends where you live!! I guess I'll enjoy it while I can. Next year it could very well stay Spring until July 1st! :)

This next week is going to be cramming as much work as I can in since I'll be home practically all week. My reward will not only be sleep but also a coast visit!! Can't wait!!

Well, it won't let me do anything with the last picture but the sun shining off the clouds made for a really cool picture!

No Hood's yet but still yummy!!

The flower bouquet that Christina got me at the farmers market this morning. So pretty!! 

My camera wouldn't focus but you get the idea! Honeyberries.

A Bellflower

I thought it was cool how you can 'see' through the flower.

I just love these roses!

Peoni bloom

It has been a good 10 years since these Iris's have bloomed like this!! I was seriously contemplating taking them out. They must have got the message! :)

Even more blooms then the last posting! This is the year six for this rose bush. It's blooming it's heart out!

I woke up early the other day and noticed a pink in the living room... gorgeous sky! Took the picture and then went back to bed! :)

Business... tough decisions

I've bit the bullet and raised my rates $5 an hour but it's been a tough decision. I don't do change easily, even when it's raising rates! It's been 3 years since I've raised rates so I really shouldn't have an issue, but I have an issue. It's like anything else there will be some that aren't too enthusiastic and other's that will be just fine with it. I guess I'll see what emails I get tomorrow! Next batch of emails will go out tomorrow. Hmm... maybe I should do a sliding scale depending on where the business is money wise.... Any business people out there? Thoughts?

And the heat is back tomorrow! I'm curious when the strawberries will ripen this year. I can't wait for them. Oregon has some of the best strawberries!